Blanket fastener



Dec. 24, 1940. M. LIEBMANN BLANKET FASTENER Filed April 17, 1940INVENTOR. mamas zzejmann/ A ORNEY.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES OF'F I CEv Application'April 17,.

2' Claims.

This invention relates toclamping--means for holding blankets, sheetsand bedcloth'es in place against a mattress, examples o'fsuch: devicesbeing shown in my prior Patents Nos. 2,149,971.

, and 2,195,967. One-oftheobjects-pf the present invention is to providea device which will effectually prevent the bedclothes from being kickedor thrown. ofi the bed or otherwise displaced, thus leaving the bodyexposed and unprotected.

In the devices disclosed in my patents above mentioned, spring means isemployed for exerting clamping force upon a pair of jaws which clamp theblanket around the rolled edge of the mattress. In order to applysufficient clamping force to enable the blanket to be securely held inplace to resist the pulling strains imposed upon it by movements of aperson in bed, the springs employed had to exert considerable force,with the result that the manual strength required to spread thejaws-apart against the tension of the Springs when placing the device inposition or removing it, was considerable. is therefore the primaryobject of the present invention to provide a clamp in which springs arenot required for the purpose of applying clamping force, but are insteadused for assisting in spreading the jaws apart or opening the device,and means are employed for positively moving the jaws into clampingposition and enabling a requisite and selected amount of clamping forceto be exerted without the exercise of any great manual strength on thepart of the person placing the clamp in operative position.

More particularly, the invention comprises the employment of a pair ofjaws, hinged or otherwise mova'bly associated or connected, said jawsbeing of such shape that the same co-operate in embracing and fittingover the rolled edge of 40 a mattress and one or more blankets extendingover the same, and in the provision of a spring so disposed in respectto the jaws that it tends to spread the jaws apart, and in the furtherprovision of a bolt or other clamping element which 45 is operative,upon manual adjustment, to move the jaws into clamping position with aselected amount of clamping force applied between the jaws on theblanket and rolled edge of the mat! tress.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention isdisclosed, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a fasteneror clamp made inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Fig. 3is a rear view of the 55 device; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view through1940, SrialNO. 330,'030

(Cl. fil -72.5) f

a part of a mattress and superposed blanket, showing the application ofthe clamp thereto:

With reference to the structure shown in Fig. 4-, l3 indicates therolled edge of a mattress, saidrolled edge being usually formedalong thetop of the mattress and it extends completely around the same.superposed upon the mattress in the conventional way is-a blanket,sheet, guilt or other" bedclo-thing indicated at Mwhich maybesecurelyand neatly heldin position over themattress'byapluralityofclamping devices; one' of which is shown inthe drawing;

The clamping device consists of a pair of like jaws l and 2 curvedtoward one another as at 15 at one end and hinged together as indicated15 at 6, or in any other equivalent manner. The jaw I has a curved orarcuate portion 3, and the opposed jaw 2 has a similarly shaped part 4.These arcuate portions 3 and 4 of the jaws cooperate in embracing andsnugly fitting over the rolled edge of the mattress and the blanketextending thereover, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Each jaw has itsforward end provided with an outwardly extended flange II which gripsthe blanket securely, yet without cutting into or tearing the same.

The means for adjusting the position of the jaws relative to one anotheris located adjacent to the rear hinged ends of the jaws, said meansconsisting of the bolt 8, which extends through the apertures l in thejaws, said bolt being located in the flat portions 5 of the jaws andbetween the arcuate portions of the jaws and the hinged connection 6,between said jaws. Surrounding the bolt 8 is a spring 9 which is locatedbetween the jaws and tends to normally spread the same apart or separatethem. An adjusting nut i is received on the threaded portion of the boltat the outside of the jaw 2, said nut being rotative on the bolt tocompress the spring and draw the jaws toward one another and bring theminto clamping co-operation with the requisite amount of clamping forcerequired to securely hold the blanket over the rolled edge of themattress.

Briefly, the operation of the device is as follows:

In applying the clamp in position the nut I0 is rotated to enable thejaws to be spread apart under the impulse of the spring 9 for therequisite amount to enable the clamp to be fitted over the rolled top ofthe mattress and the blanket M or other .bedclothing extended thereover.By then turning the nut I 0 to advance it toward the jaws, it will movethe same toward one another until 65 the proper amount of clamping forceis applied to hold the blanket securely against displacement. Anothersimple manner of speedily applying the clamp is to squeeze the jawstogether between the fingers of one hand while the rolled edge of themattress and blanket thereover is disposed between the jaws, and then,while holding the jaws in gripping position, twirl the nut with thefingers of the other hand until it holds the jaws in the manually-setposition of clamping. Since the spring 9 tends to spread the jaws apartautomatically upon retractive movement on the nut 10 on the bolt 8, therelease of the device from clamping position is efiected by merelyturning the nut to cause it to move outwardly along the bolt. It willthus be apparent that the placement and removal of the device is simplyand easily done; that the imposition of manual strength in removing theclamp is unnecessary and that a regulatable amount of clamping pressureis easily attained by merely adjusting the nut ID on the I What I claimis: 4

1. A device for holding bed clothing to the rolled edge of a mattresscomprising, a pair of jaws hinged together at one of their ends andmovable toward one another and adapted to grip the rolled edge of themattress between them, each of said jaws including a portion arcuatelycurved to fit the curvature of the rolled top of the mattress, the jawsbeing apertured ata point remote from the curved portions and betweentheir curved portions and the hinge, the hinge consisting of interfittedrolled parts at the ends of the fiat portions of the jaws, with a pintleextending through said rolled parts, an adjusting bolt extending throughthe apertures in the jaws, said bolt being provided on the outside ofone of the jaws with a nut for adjusting the jaws toward one another,and a spring surrounding the bolt between the jaws and tending to spreadthe jaws apart.

2. A device for holding bed clothing to the rolled edge of a mattresscomprising, a pair of jaws hinged together at one of their ends andmovable toward one another and adapted to grip the rolled edge of themattress between them, each of said jaws including a portion arcuatelycurved to fit the curvature of the rolled top of the mattress, saidportion having an angular free end, and including also a flat portiondisposed between the curved portion and the hinge, the hinge consistingof interfitted rolled parts at the ends of the fiat portions of thejaws, with a pintle extending through said rolled parts, the flatportions of the jaws being apertured, an adjusting bolt extendingthrough the apertures in the jaws, said bolt being provided on theoutside of one of the jaws with a nut for adjusting the jaws toward oneanother, and a spring surrounding the bolt between the jaws and tendingto spread the jaws apart.

MOSES LIEBMANN.

